NASA’s $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope launched on December 25, 2021, replacing the Hubble Space Telescope. Nearly seven months after launch, has finally produced images that are, according to NASA, a representation that includes the deepest views of the universe ever captured!
The images set to be released to the public on July 12, 2022 are stunning and supposedly beautiful enough to almost bring NASA astrophysicist (Thomas Zurbuchen) to tears. The hard work has paid off, with the JWST poised to show us a whole new perspective of space and a deeper look at the universe like we’ve never seen it before.
With the coolest camera array in the solar system, we all got a glimpse of the very first images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (opens in a new tab) in April, in the form of test images, where it was compared in quality to the now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope, first launched in 2003.
Technology has come on leaps and bounds since then, and the improved detail and sharpness of these engineering test images (opens in a new tab) were possible thanks to the JWST’s large segmented honeycomb mirrors (7 times larger than the Spitzer), measuring a total of 21.5 feet in length.
These last expected images (about 10 to 20 expected) would be so beautiful, however, that NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen nearly cried when he first saw them, as reported during from a recent press conference.
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According to Zurbuchen, the first color telescope images he took would provide a “new worldview” in the cosmos. deeply personal.” He shares, “It’s a moving moment when you see nature suddenly reveal some of its secrets, and I’d like you to imagine and look forward to that.”
The JWST is the most powerful space telescope and observatory ever launched into space, and was designed primarily to conduct infrared astronomy and capture the faintest light in the universe, from the first generation of stars and galaxies, first formed more than 13.8 billion years ago. at the time of the Big Bang.
Since its launch in December, the JWST has managed to unfold like an origami and into the position where it will remain during its mission, until 2028, and it has also managed to align all its segmented mirrors in place, 18 in total.
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By observing the past and looking further beyond the light radiation that has not yet reached us, the images produced by the JWST will likely exceed the previous Ultra Deep Field survey image from the Hubble Space Telescope which captured nearly ten thousand galaxies, the oldest visible dating back to about 800 million years after the Big Bang. With a much larger primary mirror, the JWST is capable of much greater detection of invisible light penetrated by infrared waves.
Scientists plan to use the JWST to scan the atmospheres of other worlds, looking for signs of potential life or habitability in the form of traces of ammonia, water and methane, and other findings of biosignature. Soon to be a golden age in our understanding of the wider universe, this may just be the tip of the iceberg on what NASA has up its sleeve, with talk of exoplanet spectra studies .
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said “what I saw moved me, as a scientist, as an engineer and as a human being.” If this long-awaited NASA image revealed next week lives up to the current hype, we’ll be very excited.
Join other astronomers, scientists, engineers, astrophotographers and just about everyone around the world who are intrigued by the possibilities and potential of what this new golden age of space imaging means for the development of understanding of our universe. , and be sure to set your calendars for Wednesday, July 12, 2022.
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Check out the JWST Image Countdown (opens in a new tab) landing page ahead of the first light image release, and get live updates by visiting the official YouTube channel, NASA TV (opens in a new tab)for a continuous live stream.
Once released one by one on July 12, 2022, the new images captured by the JWST will be available on the NASA website. (opens in a new tab) and will be simultaneously available on social networks. You can also experience these revealed images via a real-time TV broadcast at 10:30 a.m. EST and hear from NASA experts in the live stream taking place on NASA TV’s YouTube channel, scheduled for the same time.
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